‘Open letter’ galvanises marketing sector into NBN action

101


news An ‘open letter’ from a senior figure in Australia’s marketing and advertising sector calling for action to address the Coalition’s “sub-standard” National Broadband Network has generated an instant and strong response from other high-profile industry figures.

Denise Shrivell is the founder of MediaScope — a high-profile site which aims to connect the dots between professionals within Australia’s broad media, advertising and marketing communities, which are interlinked due to the nature of their work.

Several weeks ago, Shrivell published an ‘open letter’ on LinkedIn noting some of her concerns with the Coalition’s technically inferior Multi-Technology Mix approach to the NBN.

“Today I’m reaching out to all of you with a message about the National Broadband Network (NBN) – the ‘nation building’ telecommunications infrastructure which underpins the ongoing productivity and success of our own and all other Australian industries,” Shrivell wrote.

“It’s time to raise your awareness and serious concerns around the NBN roll-out strategy and understand the negative and profound impact this plan will have on the future of Australian marketing, advertising and media as we transition to a digital based industry operating in a global market.”

Shrivell gave a high-level overview of the situation with the NBN, as well as the global situation with respect to the development of the Internet, before seguing into her view that the Coalition’s version of the NBN would hamstring Australia.

“It’s fair to say, the impacts of inadequate connectivity delivered by the NBN will effectively place Australia under a ‘digital embargo’ partially quarantining us from more technically advanced global markets,” the MediaScope founder wrote.

Shrivell noted that she would be sending her letter to the heads of industry organisations in the media, marketing and advertising sectors, as well as other key stakeholders, and exhorted her followers to take action as well.

A number of high-profile figures within the industry have posted comments under Shrivell’s article, largely supporting her view.

For example, Mike Zeederberg, managing director of digital marketing agency Zuni, wrote: Great post and a highly worthwhile topic to be championing – great work.”

“Very hard to imagine how we are going to have an innovative, agile, growth economy in the next 5-10 years without sorting this out. Let’s ask the PM the solution … oh wait, wasn’t he in charge of Communications when NBN started roll out,” wrote Michelle Vanzella, former head of Customer, Brand and Marketing in Suncorp’s general insurance division.

However, others noted the complexity of the task ahead.

Martin Walsh — who has held digital marketing top-level leadership roles at Myer, Commonwealth Bank, the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, Macquarie Telecom and IBM, congratulated Shrivell on her post.

“The issue now is, what is the real, viable and bipartisan solution here? Sadly, the NBN became a political pawn and no rational presentation of facts and figures is likely to change the course of what is now the ‘Titanic’,” he wrote.

“I also blame the public and the media on this, not just the politicians. Like in America, there is sadly no longer any appetite for civil, constructive and mature debates around any important, long-term issue effecting Australia, whether it’s tax reform, health, NBN or anything else. Until we can get media, politics and the public to tone done all the rhetoric, personal attacks on people who disagree and the posturing, nothing will get fixed.”

opinion/analysis
I’m highlighting this article on Delimiter because it has been sent to me by a number of readers, and because I’ve seen it forwarded around quite a lot in my broader social networks. It has clearly created a dent in Australia’s marketing and advertising sector.

This makes sense — that sector, as well as media and publishing, has a huge stake in the development of Australia’s broadband infrastructure.

Image credit: NBN company

101 COMMENTS

  1. “… there is sadly no longer any appetite for civil, constructive and mature debates around any important, long-term issue effecting Australia, whether it’s tax reform, health, NBN or anything else.”

    The problem with wanting a democracy is you have to lose the aggro and get educated. Damn!!!!

    The problem with keeping a democracy is you have to lose the aggro and remain educated. S&^t!!!!

  2. How badly has the NBN been fumbled when the technology sector and the marketing / advertising sector line up on the same side of the argument?

  3. My sister just got her NBN in Kincumber…
    Her old ADSL speedtest.net scores…
    Ping ​25 ms
    Download 10​.49 Mbps
    Upload 0.61​ Mbps

    But now the speed and power of fibre to the node…
    Ping 13 ms
    Download 4.45 Mbps
    Upload 0.22 Mbps

      • Does that mean the 79% on FTTP who have willingly selected 25Mbps or slower are also on fraudband?

        To suggest otherwise would be to imply that a 56Kbps connection delivered via FTTP is broadband.

    • were the speed tests done at the same time of day?

      I work for an ISP and have been dealing more with FTTN connections recently and have been pleasantly surprised with the number of <500M customer connections that have sync speeds approaching 100/40. Even at roughly 700M you can still get around the 50/20 sync speed.

      The sad fact is that with the NBN there is a near linear cost increase as customer base grows, whereas with ADSL costs were much more fixed and unit cost per subscriber could fall quite rapidly as you grew your network. I think TPG FTTB can kill NBN in the inner city markets purely because TPG don't have to use the same kind of cost structure for wholesaling their product as NBN does. CVC cost is what is killing the NBN. The NZ version has the equivalent CVC cost of $4 ie they can provide twice the level of CVC per customer and still charge less.

      Just to provide a customer with a 12/1 AVC – $24 – and 1Mbs of CVC – $17.50 – doesn't leave much over from say a $60 plan that also needs to cover back haul and internet transit links, rent, staff etc.

      • Jeff some of us would be willing to pay the extra to get a better AVC/CVC allocation on our NBN connections. Why don’t you and other ISP’s offer this option?

        Or do you prefer to continue to offer 100/40 options with no guarantee that we will get anywhere near that if you aren’t willing to foot the AVC/CVC bill?

        Can you see my point? Yes the CVC cost is ridiculous in this country but at the very least ISP’s should be offering their customers other options if we want to use our full bandwidth 100/40 connections.

        • Telstra are a law unto themselves what the customer wants rarely rates a thought ;) unless it means it makes T$ more profits.

          Optus are just slackers in the RSP fixed line field.

          TPG doesn’t care about customers unless it costs them $. They (includes node and ii etc) don’t even offer a 50/20 bracket any more!

          The rest aren’t worth mentioning because they basically resellers due to lack of scale to be profitable solo (due to AVC/CVC and 121POI).

          Thanks ACCC!

        • Maybe ISPs should have to keep logs of average speeds (available to the ACCC on customer request) along with modems keeping track so that customers on substandard averages get money back

        • The problem is that NBN doesn’t provide RSPs with a way to prioritise packets before it reaches the POI.

          RSPs can purchase 5/5Mbps of CIR AVC at a wholesale cost of $300/month. Either Labor were deluded in thinking that people would pay this (plausible) or the exact scenario we see today was expected.

      • what would be the factor precluding something like a 30/30 connection instead of 50/20 in an area where the latter is possible ?

      • > I think TPG FTTB can kill NBN in the inner city markets purely because TPG don’t have to use the same kind of cost structure for wholesaling their product as NBN does. CVC cost is what is killing the NBN.

        The TPG FTTB costs should be roughly similar NBN costs in the same area if you exclude the additional costs of a government bureaucracy. NBN has additional opaque costs because they are delivering a national network which has higher costs in lower density areas (especially satellite & wireless). This opaque cross-subsidy model makes it difficult to determine the true costs of the NBN, making NBNCo a monopoly directly comparable with the monopoly it is replacing, Telstra where it is impossible to determine the true cost of maintaining the copper network and hence the appropriate access charge. Alternative models (e.g. concessions for geographical areas) could have been used for building the NBN that would have been much more transparent and efficient.

        What I think you mean by cost structure is the wholesale pricing model. Labor came up with an artificial pricing construct designed to price a 12Mbps 50GB NBN plan at roughly ADSL2+ pricing. In creating the pricing model Labor chose to re-introduce speed tiers (AVC) and keep volume based pricing (CVC). To deliver a profit, Labor’s NBN pricing required the ARPU to grow quickly from $32/month to well beyond $100/month.

        The result of Labor’s woeful decisions has been:
        * 79% of customers on fibre have opted for 25Mbps or slower
        * 16% (down 3% in 12 months) connecting at 100Mbps
        * Zero plans available at speeds faster than 100Mbps.
        – NBNCo have made 1Gbps plans available since December 2013.
        – Hardly surprising when Labor’s NBNCo Corporate Plan predicted that 100Mbps speeds that are required.
        * Falling rankings because most Australians aren’t prepared to pay for faster speeds
        * Slower growth in data consumption because people are selecting slower speeds
        * Lack of innovations by RSPs because NBN pricing model blocks many of the innovations (e.g. Internode’s old flatrate plan is not feasible on the NBN, but would have been a great solution)

        On the bright side, Labor were building a 1Gbps FTTP network where if NBNCo removed the speed tiers from FTTN, then 80% of customers on FTTN would would be on average 2-7 times faster.

        PAUSE, BREATH DEEPLY & THINK.
        Labor’s decision to implement a pricing model with speed tiers meant that MTM policy was able to be implemented because there is no impact on 80% of Australians.
        Labor where happy to build a FTTP network where in 2026 less than 1% would connect at 1Gbps.

  4. I also like what Martin Walsh had to say:

    “I also blame the public and the media on this, not just the politicians. Like in America, there is sadly no longer any appetite for civil, constructive and mature debates around any important, long-term issue effecting Australia, whether it’s tax reform, health, NBN or anything else. Until we can get media, politics and the public to tone done all the rhetoric, personal attacks on people who disagree and the posturing, nothing will get fixed.”

    I agree with him 100% on that.

    “The issue now is, what is the real, viable and bipartisan solution here? Sadly, the NBN became a political pawn and no rational presentation of facts and figures is likely to change the course of what is now the ‘Titanic’,” he wrote.

    Someone should let him know about Fttdp :o) That’s likely to turn out to be the tug that towed the iceberg away.

    • The bipartisan option was dropped the moment Abbott and his team decided it was another point to be opposed vigorously rather than adopted and promoted – hence the mandate handed to Turnbull to destroy it.

      Sadly Turnbull, after knifing Abbott, has too much political capital invested in that destruction to take on a bipartisan approach.

      Nothing the ALP, Greens or Crossbench can do can save the NBN as a bipartisan solution while the LNP is wedded to the approach cemented under Abbott leadership using Turnbull’s political capital.

  5. The media have blood on their hands. They became puppets for the medias owners and their preferred political party. They never challenged the technology change or its long term demise. Despite being driven by political ideology. the disastrous mtm is mostly their fault , by towing the political line, and not looking at the Nbn as innovative enabling infrastructure.
    Despite massive cost blowouts, delays and inferior technology, they are still reluctant to publish the facts.
    I hope a future govt slashes their monopoly influence..

    • The media absolutely have blood on their hands – rivers of blood.

      In the Independent Member for Lyne by Rob Oakshott there is a chapter on the NBN. In it Oakshott describes how he was interviewed by the Murdoch Press about the NBN. Oakshott said that the NBN was needed. The next day the paper spun the story to make the NBN sound wasteful and slow. The journalist contacted Rob, said sorry and said that he didn’t want to spin the story, BUT HE WAS TOLD TO.

      • The sad thing is, they do have blood on their hands, but it’s refugee blood, not NBN blood (unless you guys can point to someone that’s died because of the NBN).

      • > In the Independent Member for Lyne by Rob Oakshott there is a chapter on the NBN.

        Oakshott is one of those who could have made a difference with the balance of power, but happily signed off on a NBN Corporate Plan where <1% were predicted to have 1Gbps in 2026.

        The Greens and Independents could have used their power to implement changes to the NBN Corporate Plan but were either too clueless or didn't care. They should be held accountable for the mess we find ourselves into today where 79% of fibre connections are 25Mbps or slower.

    • but that would be taking sides in a political argument, regardless of the fact that people want something.

    • Aunty has deleted mostly all of the Nbn posts on its Facebook page with same question. Only 3 left that I can see..
      That’s obscene !

    • Yes, the ABC has been complicit in all of this!

      Where is Turnbull? He should be getting kicked to death by the ABC on this!! (As should have Tony Abbott!!)

  6. Whilst it is good that criticism and opposition to Turnbull’s shambolic version of the NBN appears to be gathering momentum, where have they been for the past 2.5 years??? I am reminded of the old analogy of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. I think Turnbull has locked contracts down so tight I doubt if anything at all can be reversed anyway. Otherwise we could be doubling his costs again just to get out of the rubbish contracts.

  7. Interesting read – thank you for sharing Renai. Overall I agree with her point – the current nbn approach makes the next 10-15 years a good deal riskier.

    The disappointing thing on the article is the number of incorrect statements, liberties with the truth and omissions. Part of holding the high ground is being accurate and honest. Given there is enough compelling arguments (and facts) to go with her point, there is no reason not to be accurate and honest.

    • Overall Michael R, I agree with your post. /S
      The disappointing thing is you didn’t articulate exactly what the incorrect statements, liberties with the truth and omissions are.
      As such it’s nothing more than an unsubstantiated attack – which makes it far less worthy than the subject of the article.

      • ;-) Further thoughts then.

        1. Arguably nbn MTM is not a current material cause in Australia’s Akamai rankings slide. nbn provides 1/3-1/2 of the overall service to end customers. The remainder of the overall service comes from the ISP (including the overall performance). If our performance here is sliding, look to consumers not buying faster connections or ISPs not delivering it – not at nbn at present.

        4. 90 year claim is a poor use of statistics. Stating ‘in some cases the average age is up to X’ is meaningless (and arguably hyperbole). This is similar to saying ‘in some cases the average age of people in Australia is greater than 60 years old’. If you have an average, say what it is, otherwise leave it alone.

        5. Point misses fixed wireless.

        8. Incorrect. Other major nbn providers (i.e. Optus, TPG) own decent backhaul networks in their own right. I wouldn’t see both of these using Telstra backhaul in all cases.

        9. Comment on FTTN performance misrepresents the truth. Yes people have complained, all the issues though have been sitting in ISP networks. Again (as above) MTM in this case is not material.

        Overall the article ignores:

        – Supporting infrastructure (POI -> ISP -> Internet) component of the network. There seems to be a public view if nbn ditches MTM & returns to FTTP then everything is rosy. Without backing infrastructure being updated – access to the higher speeds (and improvements in Australian internet rankings) won’t happen.

        – What is happening in the overall market. Arguably the nbn model has caused a reduction in Australian competition. Without this there is no impetus to reach higher speeds. Arguably the higher speeds in USA are coming from competition (i.e. Google showing other providers what is possible).

        • What are you replying to Michael?

          Nothing in your post was mentioned in this article, and your post doesn’t address anything in the article (or any other post for that matter that I can see)?

        • Tinman, He is replying directly to the open letter.

          I don’t disagree entirely with what he is saying. Tho I do think he is quibbling in some areas.

          1. We likely would have had a drop back even with the Fibre rollout, simply because it takes time to get it out there to everyone. The difference here is that once we got the time sorted out, and numbers especially in inner city regions increased, then the average would pick back up again.

          4. Unfortunately that information is unknown, Telstra wasn’t telling us, and now that NBN have it, they need to work it out. I agree that it is a bit of hyperbole, but the point is that the technology is old, as is the infrastructure.

          9. Was a multipart point, and raises general dissatisfaction with the NBN from not only consumers, but from those implementing it as well. Essentially saying that NBN know they are selling something a bit off, and that the consumers know they are receiving something a bit off.

          – Supporting infrastructure – This actually exists, this is what NBNco spent the first few years doing, building the backhaul infrastructure to support it. The problem is the Cost at the moment of the CVC.

          – Competition – NBN has definitely caused a reduction in Australian Competition. The stupid number of POI’s required puts it out of reach of many smaller operators. In addition the contraction of the market was hastened by the perception of the NBN coming in (though contraction was happening anyway). The ACCC made a mistake in allowing TPG and IInet to merge in my opinion.

          • Cheers, that clears things up a bit then, I haven’t had time to read her letter.

    • I agree with Paul, if you think there are ” incorrect statements, liberties with the truth and omissions”, then state them, don’t act like a politician and hide behind hansard.

  8. If Labour gets back, and goes Fibre again, they need to get rid of the batteries, rid of the PSTN ports, rid of the ridiculously complex bespoke routers and just run a fibre point into the house – let the RSP figure the rest out. This will cut a huge amount of cost and complexity from the rollout, and combined with ‘skinny fibre’ will see the thing actually rolled out properly.

    Simon Hackett said the same exact thing in 2013 – google it easily.

    • I agree completely. They could have just cut the fat out of the existing NBN in that way and also make it perform better. Methods for doing that are documented. No need to bother with any other strategy.

      But Rupert is the shadow government. We need to do something about his influence. As someone else here posted, he instructed the Coalition to keep Australia’s internet speeds down.

    • NBN owning and installing the NTD (granted it could be a less complex version) is a good thing. It makes fault checking a far simpler task on the network as the NBN owns and is responsible for everything up to that point etc.

      • and worth mentioning that GPON is a managed service design, it needs the NTD to be owned by the Network owner enable the the network to be properly managed.

        • Theres nothing to say that couldn’t be handled by RSPs though, have the RSPs come out and do the connection, just get the fibre into the premises.

          Its how it works here in Japan.

  9. Just what we need more marketing and advertising. I thought the idea of the NBN is productivity? Not shedding a tear for a company that wants more bandwidth to infect our lives.

    • They have as much right to run their business as any other Australian company.

      Don’t like it, get an ad blocker.

      • Yes the same way as door knockers come to your door. It’s their right, but its annoying.

  10. The NBN was established on April 2009, 7 years ago and only NOW do Marketing, Advertising , Media and Publishing get involved in it, at that rate it’s a wonder they are successful at anything. This is what Delimiter posters have been trying to get through to them for years.

    • Back in the mining boom days(you know, the one where the WA premier wouldn’t even call it a boom!) the advertisers didn’t want to rock the boat.
      Yes, they should feel inadequate at their jobs!

  11. It good to see the the future 1Gig technology will be able to deliver me better adverts.

    • It good to see the the future 1Gig technology will be able to deliver me better adverts.

      If that’s all you want from it, that’s your call I guess ;o)

    • You have no clue what upload speed is all about: you should run for office and pretend Globalisation doesn’t exist!

      • Why should the Australian people subsidise the network access of advertising firms?

        CBD areas in major capital cities already have access to fibre at cheaper rates than NBNCo will ever be able to provide it.

  12. So where were all these people when labor were putting 700 000 people on substandard satellite?

    • It was “interim” satellite. Where there was no other delivery method. A temporary solution whilst waiting for the new ka sats to be built.
      The interim sats were better than nothing. It was Turnbull who said that the new sats were not needed and it’s Morrow that decided to place more subscribers on the interim Sat than it could handle.

      • You have predictably shown you know little about the NBN satellites. Proposed plans are around 30GB a month during peak times which is 7am to 1am.

        So I really feel for those poor people getting FTTN and their 1TB anytime for $100 a month plans, while sat people get offered 60GB peak times for $200 a month.

        Even Delimiter does not seem to have much to say on the NBN Skymuster satellite plans, but plenty to say on FTTN.

        • I agree satellite users are under represented here, but as only 7% of the population (under Labors NBN) was going to be on Sat and FW, that’s probably the reason.

          You may find that will pick up though, if the Libs keep shoving even more people on to it for “cost effective” reasons (there, happy Alain? :o) )

      • Except that technology, unsurprisingly, is moving on and the Ka band satellites will shortly be obsolete. Projects by facebook and google are very likely to deliver cheaper and faster access within the next 5 years. Labor could have partnered with Facebook or Google to pilot these technologies in Australia but instead they ignored private sector Satellite operators and chose to purchase expensive infrastructure.

        • Labor could have partnered with Facebook or Google to pilot these technologies in Australia but instead they ignored private sector Satellite operators and chose to purchase expensive infrastructure.

          You mean like the interim service they that couldn’t even keep up with half the users? Private ones like those?

    • Still harping on about poor Frank, eh Frank?

      You didn’t get FTTP so you wanted no one else to get it. This was always your gist and voila, you got your wish.

      But did you ever think that maybe there are more people in Australia than just you. I know you are the most important *sigh*, but…

      In fact did you ever think that “your own” family member may one day move from your satellite area into a FttP area and enjoy the world class benefits.

      Oh no you didn’t think and still don’t, because Frank missed out, so fuck everyone else.

      How’s the new MTM plan shaping up for you?

      BTW I’d suggest that even though I live in an urban area, that the satellite you were going to get is better than my shitty ADSL and probably better than the FTTN, I may “eventually” receive.

    • So where were all these people when labor were putting 700 000 people on substandard satellite?

      Labor planned to put about 200,000 on them, it’s the LNP your thinking off (they just announced they were dumping around 50,000 more from West Tassie too).

      • Of course what you left out about West Tassie was the high cost cost of getting high speed backhaul into there and satellite was the most cost effective option.

        I assume Labor will announce ‘real soon now’ they are putting that area on FTTP is a high priority after they win government.

        • Cost Effective should never be a requirement of National Infrastructure!!!

          The only important Metric’s are the entire Projects ROI and the expected useful Lifetime.

          MtM fails on both counts, so back under your bridge Alain!

          • The bloke from NY on QandA was saying the multiplying factor is not even being discussed: this is the supposedly clever country- the super economy from the antipodes!

            We’re nothing short of the biggest joke on the entire internet: we are a global disgrace and you all know I’m not joking… that’s the sad part!

            People died for this country.

            It’s time to demand an honest debate on the NBN in the stupid country our families actually died for!!!!!!!!

            I’d even suggest that Renai might call one of his articles exactly that and it may go down on the interwebs as one of the most read/copied/-and pasted articles ever by the whole world because it would go to the heart of exactly what is meant by corruption of democracy!

            Oi Oi Oi!!!

            AND WE ALL KNOW I’M NOT EVEN EXAGGERATING

        • I didn’t mention it, because it wasn’t the point of my reply, the point is the Libs are adding more to the sat service than Labor originally envisioned.

          But feel free to waffle on about something else that is off topic :o)

        • When you average the cost across the whole of Australia (93%) then it becomes cost effective. Point is 93% coverage was always going to have areas that were seemingly if taken in isolation overly expensive.

          • Simon, don’t be silly, ALL FTTP connections will clearly cost $4400, all of them. None of them will be cheaper, and none will be more than that. All shall cost that much, as it is the basis for only essentially greenfields getting FTTP and the few brownfields that are already built.

        • A alain,

          Instead of ridiculously always replying with ‘of course what you left out was…” particularity with you being unsurpassed in leaving out those pesky facts…

          Why don’t you use “once upon a time” to start your fictitious BS?

          It would be much more fitting.

          You’re welcome.

      • Mike Quigley announced in a speech the NBN Satellite was for 3% of premises or more then 200 000 premises. So lets stop perpetuating myths.

        From NBN co themselves

        http://www.nbnco.com.au/corporate-information/media-centre/media-releases/satellite-plans-on-track.html

        “Notes to Editors

        In February 2012 NBN Co selected Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) of the United States, a leading manufacturer of commercial broadband satellites, to build two next-generation Ka-band satellites to bring high-speed internet to the 3% of homes, farms and businesses that reside in some of the most parts of Australia, including outback regions and external territories such as Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands. “

        • You are wrong.

          It was not 700,000, it was 200,000 (which you are NOW saying, but your original post said it was 700k)…

          • More than 200,000 is still half the “more than 400,000” MtM Co are planning to shove onto the LTSS!!!

          • I also noticed that the Coalition have changed Fixed Wireless from 315k in Quigley time to 590k in Turnbull time.

          • And in case you have a vision impairment, you originally said S.E.V.E.N hundred thousand, not T.W.O. hundred thousand….

          • TM, whether it be 700K or 200K, is of absolutely no consequence to our friend…

            I say this from having had the same mind numbing ridiculous correspondences from him years ago and therefore know that he’s only concerned with “one, uno, singular”, no more!

            And yet he has the audacity to call us (or imply) that everyone else is selfish? WTF!

            Rather telling IMO though, how he, like many others here, continues to bag FTTP, but doesn’t mention the “current” complete shit pile, failure, that is MTM…

        • So instead of continually whining, with no answers, what do you suggest Frank?

          100% FTTP, seemed to be your inferences years ago?

          Is that your suggestion?

          • You are just proving my original point. I have pointed out that only now when many are missing out, is there any outrage. When a few were missing out under labor NBN it was all acceptable.

            Perhaps rather then this “some are more equal then others” instead there first needs to be a minimum requirement that needs to be provided to everyone. From what I see those getting HFC or FTTN or even FTTP will be getting much greater then those on the labor satellites will be getting. So they have nothing to complain about.

          • l’ll say it again just for you Frank…

            Ready…

            So instead of continually whining, with no answers, what do you suggest Frank?

            100% FTTP, seemed to be your inferences years ago?

            Is that your suggestion?

          • @Frank

            Fair enough (though I don’t agree that running fibre to all the cattle stations is a level playing field either), but don’t make up stuff to make a point, it totally blows your credibility.

          • ““some are more equal then others” instead there first needs to be a minimum requirement that needs to be provided to everyone. ”

            Except that you’ll still be on satellite in either case.

            So, its a matter of FTTP for the others not on satellite/wireless, thus the speed difference between the types will be more.

            OR, we put everyone else on FTTN, so they get limited with their speed, just to make sure those on satellite and wireless don’t get their panties in a twist because their plans are worse?

            Kay.

          • And having been questioned and corrected, with questions still unanswered… just like his kindred spirit FTTP/NBN detractor brothers, he surprise, surprise, simply disappears…

            …too.

          • From what I see those getting HFC or FTTN or even FTTP will be getting much greater then those on the labor satellites will be getting. So they have nothing to complain about

            Are you saying you want HFC or FttN rolled out to the satellite footprint?

  13. The private media and the LNP that prop each other up see the internet as evil and must be stopped, or at least slowed. It’s undermining their strangle-hold on media through traditional channels. Even the ABC actively undermined the NBN because they were afraid of revenge from a new Liberal Government, and the internet is a threat to them too anyway.

    All the reviews, changes of direction, and general dicking around were never about getting a better value NBN sooner. It was always about delaying and undermining it as much as possible.

    Mission accomplished!

      • I’m pretty sure all media organisations see the internet as the future, but the ABC management were quite willing to help make sure it stayed in the future.

        Search for “newmatilda NBN ABC” to find the gory details of how they targeted the NBN to help ensure “it’s not going to happen.” It is as dodgey as the “Lateline Bad Aunty” fabrication of Aboriginal paedophile rings for Howard’s (failed) “children overboard v2” intervention re-election trick.

    • > The private media and the LNP that prop each other up see the internet as evil and must be stopped, or at least slowed. It’s undermining their strangle-hold on media through traditional channels.

      I’m not sure why this myth continues. It held some truth when Telstra imposed speed tiers on ADSL1 with a limit of 1.5Mbps. When you raise the minimum speed to 25Mbps then HD streaming (8Mbps) fits easily within that.

      > Even the ABC actively undermined the NBN because they were afraid of revenge from a new Liberal Government, and the internet is a threat to them too anyway.

      The NBN FTTP dream disappeared because people weren’t prepared to critically review Labor’s NBN Corporate Plan. I suspect this was because they were afraid that a critical examination would find many holes and it would collapse. The reality is that Labor’s FTTP fanbois simply delayed the collapse and resulted in the situation we have how now.

      • In the inner west of Sydney the fastest connection I could get in several different houses was 4Mbps (2~3Mbps on a rainy day). There is no scheduled future date for any sort of rollout to improve things there. The NBN appears to have been delayed indefinitely.

      • Mathew,

        The Labor plan collapsed anyway, except for a few FTTP fanboys making multiple posts under different names to try and bolster the numbers the majority don’t care, not even Labor NBN plan 2016 will resurrect FTTP to 93% by 2021 again.

        • Prove it.

          And try finding something, anything, more recent than your desperately pre-historic article from Renai (since retracted) from 2013, where he was obviously optimistic about the new government (d’oh) and hoped (in vain) that FRAUDBAND/NODAFAIL wouldn’t be the complete fuck up that everyone (except the lifelong faithful) knew it would be and can see it is.

          You’re welcome.

Comments are closed.